Multiple SIM multiple network diversity for enhancing call connectivity

ABSTRACT

Methods and devices are disclosed for establishing a second call during a first call on a multi-SIM communication device. A quality of the first call between a calling party and a called party using a first subscription for a first network may be determined to be degrading. Network alternatives may be provided for establishing the second call in response to determining that the quality of the first call is degrading. One of the network alternatives may be selected based on an order of suitability for originating the second call. A notification to the called party using information associated with calling party and the second call may be provided before the second call is originated. The information associated with the second call may identify the calling party to the called party before the second call is originated.

BACKGROUND

Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more powerfulcomputing devices. For example, there currently exist a variety ofportable personal computing devices, including wireless computingdevices, such as portable wireless telephones, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), and paging devices that are small, lightweight, andeasily carried by users. More specifically, portable wirelesstelephones, such as cellular telephones and internet protocol (IP)telephones, may communicate voice and data packets over wirelessnetworks. Further, many such wireless telephones include other types ofdevices that are incorporated therein. For example, a wireless telephonemay also include a digital still camera, a digital video camera, adigital recorder, and an audio file player. Also, such wirelesstelephones may process executable instructions, including softwareapplications, such as a web browser application that may be used toaccess the Internet. As network infrastructure evolves, such devices mayhave access to multiple networks. As such, these wireless telephones mayinclude significant computing capabilities for processing voice and datausing a variety of resources, and in some cases simultaneously.

A mobile communication device (e.g., a wireless telephone) may enable auser to utilize multiple subscriptions (that may be associated with thesame or different networks). To illustrate, a first subscriber identitymodule (SIM) of a multi-SIM multi-standby (MSMS) device, or a multi-SIMmulti-active (MSMA) device may be associated with a first subscription,a second SIM may be associated with a second subscription, and an NthSIM may be associated with an Nth subscription. An MSMS or MSMA devicemay include dual-SIM devices (e.g. DSDS, DSDA, . . . ). In addition tosubscription-based resources, devices may have access to wirelessnetworks (e.g., WLAN) that may carry data and may present opportunitiesfor calls using data resources (e.g., SIP, VoIP, . . . ).

In a MSMS device with a single receive-transmit (Rx-Tx) chain,subscriptions may accessing one or more shared radio frequency (RF)resources of the single Rx-Tx chain in order to monitor link informationaccording to a variety of possible schemes that may avoid contention. Ina MSMA device, access to shared radio resources may be managed to avoidcontention and may allow all subscriptions to access respective servicenetworks for periodic monitoring of link information. When originating acall on a multi-SIM device, however, the choice of which subscription touse may be challenging, particularly when radio environment conditionsmay change based on location, mobility, cost, power and other factors.Further, when engaged in a call on a first subscription, conditions forthe call may degrade. Under ordinary circumstances, the caller maynotice a degradation in the call quality and the call may ultimatelydrop. The caller may then attempt to reach the called party on analternate subscription, but changing subscriptions may take time and,when a new call is made to the calling party, the new informationassociated with the alternate subscription may not be recognized by thecalled party and may not be accepted. Further, because the first callwas dropped there is no convenient way to notify the called party thatthe caller will attempt the call using a new subscription or othermeans. As a result, the conversation may be significantly delayed untila new call may be arranged at a later time.

SUMMARY

The various embodiments include methods, as well as mobile devices andnon-transitory media storing instructions implementing methods forenhancing call connectivity on multi-SIM mobile devices. An embodimentmethod of establishing a second call as a continuation of a first callon a multi-SIM communication device may include determining whether aquality of the first call between a calling party and a called partyusing a first subscription for a first network is degrading. Networkalternatives may be provided for establishing the second call inresponse to determining that the quality of the first call is degrading.One of the network alternatives may be selected based on an order ofsuitability for establishing the second call. The called party may benotified using information associated with the calling party and thesecond call before the second call is originated. The informationassociated with the second call may identify the calling party to thecalled party before the second call is originated, for example, so thatthe called party may recognize that the call is continuation of thefirst call.

In a further embodiment method, the first call between the calling partyand the called party using the first subscription may be discardedbefore the second call is originated. The selected one of the networkalternatives for originating the second call may be activated. Thesecond call between the calling party and the called party may becompleted using the activated network alternative.

In a further embodiment method, the second call between the callingparty and the called party may be completed using the selected one ofthe network alternatives. The first call between the calling party andthe called party using the first subscription may be discarded when thesecond call is completed. In an embodiment method, an acceptance of thenotifying the called party using information associated with the callingparty and the second call may be received. In an embodiment method, itmay be determined whether a quality of the first call using a firstsubscription is degrading by obtaining link quality informationassociated with the first call, and determining whether a value of thelink quality information is below a threshold. The link qualityinformation may include one or more of: a signal information to noiseratio (SINR), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a callquality index (CQI), and a transmit power level. An embodiment methodmay include selecting one of the network alternatives based on an orderof suitability for originating the second call by displaying a list ofthe network alternatives in an order of suitability for originating thesecond call, and receiving the selection of the one of the networkalternative from the list of network alternatives. An embodiment methodmay include selecting one of the network alternatives based on an orderof suitability for originating the second call by automaticallyselecting one of the network alternatives from a list of the networkalternatives arranged in an order of suitability for originating thesecond call.

An embodiment method may include notifying the called party usinginformation associated with the calling party and the second call beforethe second call is originated by sending a notification to the calledparty including the information associated with the second call. Sendingthe notification may include sending a message using an applicationinstalled on a calling party device and a called party device. Theapplication may include a messenger application, an instant messagingapplication, a social media application, or other application. Furtherin an embodiment method, the selected one of the network alternativesmay include a second SIM of the multi-SIM communication deviceassociated with a second network, and sending the notification comprisessending an SMS to the called party on the first network including theinformation associated with the second call. In an alternativeembodiment method, when the selected one of the network alternativesincludes a second SIM of the multi-SIM communication device associatedwith a second network, sending the notification may include sending anSMS to the called party on the second network including the informationassociated with the second call. In a further alternative embodimentmethod, the selected one of the network alternatives may include awireless local area network (WLAN), the second call may include a voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, and sending the notification mayinclude sending a SIP INVITE to the called party on the WLAN includingthe information associated with the second call.

An embodiment method of continuing a first call on a multi-SIMcommunication device may include determining whether a quality of thefirst call between a calling party and a called party using a firstsubscription for a first network is degrading. An embodiment method mayfurther include selecting a wireless local area network (WLAN) as anetwork alternative for continuing the first call in response todetermining that the quality of the first call is degrading. Anembodiment method may further include originating a voice over InternetProtocol (VoIP) session on at least a leg of the first call between thecalling party and the first network using the WLAN. An embodiment methodmay further include continuing the first call using the originated VoIPsession.

Further embodiments may include an apparatus for establishing a secondcall as a continuation of a first call, or continuing a first call, on amulti-SIM communication device, having a memory, a plurality of radiofrequency (RF) chains, a plurality of subscriber identity modules (SIMs)associated with a plurality of network subscriptions, and a processorcoupled to the memory, the plurality of RF chains, and the plurality ofSIMs, in which the processor is configured with processor-executableinstructions to perform various operations corresponding to the methodsdiscussed above.

Further embodiments may include an apparatus for establishing a secondcall as a continuation of a first call, or continuing a first call, on amulti-SIM communication device having a plurality of subscriber identitymodules (SIMs) associated with a plurality of network subscriptions, andvarious means for performing functions corresponding to the methodoperations discussed above.

Further embodiments may include a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium having stored thereon processor-executable softwareinstructions configured to cause a processor of a multi-SIMcommunication device to perform operations for establishing a secondcall as a continuation of a first call, or for continuing a first call,corresponding to the method operations discussed above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate exemplary aspects of theinvention, and together with the general description given above and thedetailed description given below, serve to explain the features of theinvention.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are communication system block diagrams illustratingcommunication links in various embodiments.

FIG. 1C is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a multi-subscriptiondevice.

FIG. 2A is a table illustrating an embodiment of establishingsuitability ranking among alternatives in multi-subscription device.

FIG. 2B is a chart further illustrating an embodiment of establishingsuitability ranking among alternatives in multi-subscription device.

FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of displayingalternatives and displaying a messaging notification on a display.

FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of an application forproviding notification on a display.

FIG. 4A is a call flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of performingan intimation and setup of a call using an alternative subscription in amulti-subscription device.

FIG. 4B is a call flow diagram further illustrating an embodiment ofperforming an intimation and setup of a call using an alternativesubscription in a multi-subscription device.

FIG. 4C is a call flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of performingan intimation and setup of a call using an alternative network in amulti-subscription device.

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method embodiment forselecting a suitable alternative for completing a call in amulti-subscription device.

FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method embodiment forselecting a suitable alternative for completing a second call when aquality of first call is degrading.

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are process flow diagrams illustrating embodimentmethods for performing intimation of a second call in amulti-subscription device.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a portable electronicdevice suitable for performing multi-subscription diversity in amulti-subscription device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The various aspects will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.References made to particular examples and implementations are forillustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention or the claims.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as“exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other implementations.

The terms “mobile device” and “receiver device” are used interchangeablyherein to refer to any one or all of mobile media broadcast receivers,cellular telephones, personal television devices, personal dataassistants (PDA's), palm-top computers, wireless electronic mailreceivers (e.g., the Blackberry® and Treo® devices), multimedia Internetenabled cellular telephones (e.g., the Blackberry Storm®), GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receivers, wireless gaming controllers,receivers within vehicles (e.g., automobiles) and similar personalelectronic devices which include a programmable processor and memory,controller or controller, digital signal processor or processors orother signal processing resources.

The term “multi-SIM communication device” and “multi-SIM device” areused interchangeably herein to refer to any one or all of cellulartelephones, smartphones, personal or mobile multi-media players, laptopcomputers, tablet computers, smartbooks, ultrabooks, palm-top computers,wireless electronic mail receivers, multimedia Internet enabled cellulartelephones, and similar personal electronic devices that include two ormore subscriber identity modules (SIM), a memory, and a programmableprocessor.

The various embodiments include methods that may be implemented in amulti-SIM communication device for establishing a second call during afirst call including determining that a first call between a callingparty and a called party is degrading, providing network alternativesfor establishing a second call in response to determining that the firstcall is degrading, selecting a subscription or network alternative forcompleting a first call from a ranked list of subscriptions and networkalternatives based on quality-related factors and other factors such ascost. Selection of the subscription or network alternative forcompleting the call may be performed manually by a user of amulti-subscription device or may be performed automatically by themulti-subscription device. The ranking of the alternatives and theselection of one of the alternatives may be based on establishedcriteria or may be based on ad-hoc criteria. Further, during a firstcall, conditions may degrade, whereupon a revised list of suitablealternatives may be made available for selecting an alternative for asecond call. The selection of the alternative for the second call may bemade manually or automatically by the multi-subscription device. Whenthe second alternative is selected, the called party may be intimated ornotified of the second call, by sending a notification to the calledparty of the second call. The notification of the second call my includeinformation about the calling party such that the called party may knowthat the second call is from the calling party and represents acontinuation of the conversation or session associated with the firstcall, which is degrading.

The subscription and network alternatives may share signal processingresources and radio resources (e.g., RF resources) in devices thatsupport multiple subscriptions (e.g., multi-subscription devices) suchthat the subscriptions may periodically monitor link quality relatedparameters associated with the subscription networks or other networks.As an example, a device that supports multiple subscriptions (e.g., aMSMS device) may share one receive-transmit (Rx-Tx) chain. Eachsubscription may request RF resources to accomplish monitoring and themulti-subscription device may maintain current information regardingfactors such as call quality, transmit power, signal information tonoise ratio (SINR) and other link quality related parameters.Information regarding other factors may also be maintained, such asservice costs, quality of service (QoS) and other information for eachalternative.

Embodiment methods for providing multi-subscription diversity andenhanced call connectivity alternatives a multi-subscription device maybe implemented within a variety of cellular and mobile communicationsystems, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 1A and generallydesignated 100. The system 100 includes a multi-SIM communication device110 a that supports multiple subscriptions (e.g., a mobile telephone orother communication device). For example, each subscription may beassociated with its own user identity module (UIM), such as a subscriberidentity module (SIM), a code division multiple access (CDMA) removableUIM (R-UIM), or other type of R-UIM. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1, the multi-SIM communication device 110 a is capable of receivingmultiple SIMs such as SIM1, SIM2, . . . , SIM N. Each SIM is associatedwith a subscription to a service network such as network 101, 102 and103. The multi-SIM communication device 110 a may further have thecapability to connect to a non-telephone wireless local area network(WLAN) 104 that provides access to the Internet, such as a WiFi network.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C, the multi-SIMcommunication device 110 a may be capable of making a call to anothertelephone device 110 b, such as through the service network 101 usingthe services associated with SIM 1. The other telephone device 110 b mayany device capable of receiving a telephone call, such as a conventionalland-line telephone and a cellular telephone. In the variousembodiments, the subscription to be used for the call may be selectedbased on suitability of a subscription based on information includingpriority, transmit power, cost, and other factors that will be describedhereinafter. In the present illustrative example, for ease ofdescription, the first network 101 may be used to make the first call.

When conditions of the first call established using the first network101 and the SIM 1 degrade, in embodiments, such as may be illustrated inFIG. 1B, a second call to the called party associated with the othertelephone device 110 b may be advantageously set-up on an alternativeservice network, such as service network 103 using SIM N, which may beselected as most suitable based on various factors as will be described.Alternatively, a wireless local area network may be used for the secondcall. The second call may be intimated to the called party, as will alsobe described in greater detail hereinafter, such that the called partymay know or recognize that the second call is from the calling party andmay be a continuation of the first call. In some embodiments, the secondcall may be set up before the first call is dropped, discarded orotherwise ended, advantageously preserving the continuity of theconversation or session of the first call. In embodiments where thefirst call must be discarded before the second call is completed, thelatency of establishing the second call may be reduced to a degree thatthe continuity of the conversation or session may nevertheless bemaintained at an acceptable level.

In an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1C, a multi-SIM communicationdevice 110 a may be a multi-SIM multi-standby device with a singlereceive-transmit (Rx-Tx) chain 105 that includes at least one signalprocessing (e.g., RF) resource 106. In other embodiments, the multi-SIMcommunication device 110 may be a multi-SIM multi-active device withadditional receive-transmit (Rx-Tx) chains 105 a and 105 b and possiblyadditional Rx-Tx chains. The multi-SIM communication device 110 includesa first SIM interface 111 configured to receive a first SIM 111 a thatis associated with a first subscription (e.g., a subscription associatedwith a first network 101), a second SIM interface 112 to receive asecond SIM 112 a that is associated with a second subscription (e.g., asubscription associated with a second network 102) and a Nth SIMinterface 113 configured to receive an Nth SIM 113 a that is associatedwith an Nth subscription (e.g., a subscription associated with an Nthnetwork 103. The multi-SIM communication device 110 may further becapable of connection, through a network interface 114, to a wirelessnetwork such as WLAN network 104. Alternatively, two or more of thesubscriptions may be associated with the same network. The SIMs 111 a,112 a and 113 a, may further be inserted into or otherwise connected toalternate ones of the respective SIM interfaces 111, 112 and 113. Thefirst SIM interface 111, the second SIM interface 112, the Nth SIMinterface 113, the WLAN interface 114, and a controller 120 may becommunicatively coupled to the signal processing resource 106 (e.g., viaelectrical connections between the SIM interfaces 111-114, thecontroller 120, and the signal processing resource 106). In a multi-SIM,multi-active embodiment, signal processing resources 106 a and 106 b mayalso be used.

To illustrate, a first electrical connection between the first SIMinterface 111 and the signal processing resource 106 may provide acommunication path between the first SIM 111 a and the signal processingresource 106 when the first SIM 111 a is inserted into or otherwiseconnected to the first SIM interface 111. As another example, a secondelectrical connection between the second SIM interface 112 and thesignal processing resource 106 may provide a communication path betweenthe second SIM 112 a and the signal processing resource 106 when thesecond SIM 112 a is inserted into or otherwise connected to the secondSIM interface 112. As another example, additional electrical connectionsbetween additional SIMs, such as the Nth SIM interface 113 and thesignal processing resource 106 may provide additional paths, such as acommunication path between the Nth SIM 113 a and the signal processingresource 106 when the Nth SIM 113 a may be inserted into or otherwiseconnected to the Nth SIM interface 113. Thus, SIMs 111 a-113 a and awireless network module, may be concurrently connected to the signalprocessing resource 106 (e.g., via the SIM interfaces 111-113 and theWLAN interface 114).

The controller 120 may be configured to receive requests to access thesignal processing resource 106 during a time period. At least one of therequests may be related to the first subscription (e.g., associated withthe first SIM 111), at least one of the requests may be related to thesecond subscription (e.g., associated with the second SIM 112), at leastone of request may be related to the Nth subscription (e.g., associatedwith the Nth SIM 113) and at least one of the requests may be related toaccessing the network through the WLAN interface 114. During the timeperiod, the controller 120 is configured to grant access to the signalprocessing resource 106 to the various subscriptions and networkmodules, for example according to a priority or other mechanism that maybe useful to avoid collisions or contention. Link information, such aslink-quality related information, may be obtained when the varioussubscriptions and network module are connected to respective networkssuch as the first network 101, the second network 102, the Nth network103 and the WLAN 104.

During operation of the multi-SIM communication device 110, thecontroller 120 may be configured to receive addition requests to accessthe signal processing resource 106 during additional time periods orother access opportunities. The controller 120 may require a mechanismto avoid contention between the various subscriptions. As access isgranted to the various subscriptions and network module or modules, thecontroller 120 is configured to build and store information, such ashistorical information 130 related to access to the signal processingresource 106 by the various subscriptions and network module.Subscription access link quality information may be stored inassociation with each subscription and network. For example, linkquality information regarding the first subscription may be stored as afirst subscription link access quality information 131, link qualityinformation regarding the second subscription may be stored as a secondsubscription link access quality information 132, link qualityinformation regarding the Nth subscription may be stored as a Nthsubscription link access quality information 133 and link qualityinformation regarding the network 104 may be stored as a WLAN linkaccess quality information 134.

During operation of the system 100 of FIG. 1C, link quality informationmay be obtained during access by the various subscriptions, such as bymaking signal measurements on incoming network signals. The controller120 may receive requests to access the signal processing resource 106during a time period as described. To illustrate, the controller 120 mayreceive a request from the first subscription to access the signalprocessing resource 106 (e.g., an RF resource) in order to receive anincoming page (not shown in FIG. 1C) from the first network 101. Thecontroller 120 may receive another request from the second subscriptionto access the signal processing resource 106 in order to receive anincoming page (not shown in FIG. 1C) from the second network 102. Thecontroller 120 may receive another request from additionalsubscriptions, such as the Nth subscription to access the signalprocessing resource 106 in order to receive an incoming page (not shownin FIG. 1C) from the Nth network 103. The controller 120 may receiveanother request from the network module to access the signal processingresource 106 in order to receive an incoming page or other signal, suchas beacon signal (not shown in FIG. 1C) from the WLAN 104. In responseto the access requests, the controller 120 may grant access to thesignal processing resource 106 to various subscriptions, for example,according to a priority mechanism or other mechanism, such that incomingpages or signals may be received from the respective networks.

The controller 120 may determine, based on the historical information130, which of the subscriptions is most suitable for making callsincluding the first call and the second call, and addition calls asrequired. The controller 120 may generate and maintain a list ofsubscriptions and networks in an order of suitability or priority. In aparticular embodiment, a numeric priority may be associated with thevarious subscriptions based on the historical information 130 asrelated, for example, to the subscription access link qualityinformation 131-134 for each of the subscriptions. The historicalinformation may include the most recent link quality informationmeasured or obtained by the subscriptions during access periods. Thelist of suitable subscriptions and networks may also be adjusted,updated and otherwise informed by currently obtained (e.g., real-time)measurements and information, such as may be related to the linkquality.

When a call is being placed or originated, such as a mobile originated(MO) call, the controller 120 may refer to the list of subscription ornetwork alternatives for the call, which may be arranged in an order ofsuitability or numeric priority. Priority criteria 140 may be used todetermine how comparative measurements should be ranked against eachother and how factors such as cost may be used to change or adjust thepriority or suitability ranking for a subscription or network. Thehighest priority alternative, which may correspond to the most suitablealternative for the call, may be selected for completing the call. Thealternative may be selected by a user of the multi-SIM communicationdevice 110 or may be automatically selected. During the first call, thelist may be maintained for ordering the alternatives for additionalcalls. To illustrate, an example ranking scenario 200, may include thegeneration of a link priority list 210 is illustrated in FIG. 2A. Thelink priority list 210 may contain a numeric priority or orderingassociated with which of the alternatives are most suitable forcompleting the call. The left-most column 211 in the link priority list210 of FIG. 2A may contain a heading for each subscription or network,with corresponding rows representing link quality related and otherparameters for each subscription or network. Individual columnsillustrate representative headings for information such as link qualityrelated information and other information for each subscription ornetwork. Information associated with each of the networks listed in thecolumn 211 of the link priority list 210 may include a signalinformation to noise ratio (SINR) 212, which in some examples may beexpressed in decibels (dB). The link priority list 210 may include acolumn for a cost 213 for each subscription or network, which in someexamples may be expressed as a relative index from 0 (e.g., leastcostly) to 10 (e.g., most costly). The link priority list 210 mayinclude a column for a transmit power (PWR) 214, which may be expressedas a relative index of a transmit power in dB, mW, or other valuebetween the alternatives. The link priority list 210 may include achannel quality indicator (CQI) 215, which may be expressed as arelative index of call quality from 1-15 between alternatives. The linkpriority list 210 may further include a received signal strengthindicator (RSSI) 216, which may be expressed as a value in dB referencedto 1 mW (dBm) between alternatives. While examples of metrics used toestablish suitability, priority, or ranking are shown and described inconnection with the link priority list 210, other metrics are possible.

In embodiments, various considerations may be given to establish thevalues in the link priority list 210. For example, the SINR 212 may beestablished as a SINR value that is above a minimum SINR threshold for asufficient amount of time. Generally, a link having the best value forthe SINR 212 may be most suitable for selection. The index associatedwith cost 213 may be representative of the relative cost betweenalternatives based on charges associated with the respectivesubscriptions. For a wireless network, such as WLAN 104, charges may beat or close to zero. The value or index associated with the PWR 215 andthe RSSI 216 may be based on internal measurements by the multi-SIMcommunication device 110, such as may ordinarily be performed inconnection with generating a measurement report.

In the present example, it may be assumed for ease of discussion, thatthe first network 101 associated with the first subscription wasselected based on having the best suitability, highest priority, orpreferred ranking for the first call, and a call on the first network101 using the first subscription may be established. As illustrated inFIG. 2A, the ranking of the subscriptions and networks may beestablished such that the subscription N, associated with Nth network103 may be the highest ranking alternative followed by the WLAN 104 andthe second network 102. Although the Nth subscription has superiorvalues for the SINR 212, and the CQI 215, the WLAN 104 has slightlysuperior values for the cost 213, the PWR 214 and the RSSI 216. The SINR212 may be selected, such as during a setup procedure, as having agreater weight in establishing rankings. A user may nevertheless select,during a manual selection procedure, a different alternative forcompleting a call based on factors other than the SINR 212, such as thecost 213.

Further in the present example, during the pendency of the first call,the call quality of the first subscription may degrade and a second callmay be advantageously established, in embodiments that will be describedin greater detail below, to select the next most suitable alternative.In the present example, it may be assumed that the subscription N, whichwas indicated in the link priority list 210 as being the next mostsuitable alternative for a call, may be selected. During operation ofthe multi-SIM communication device 110, additional measurements may bemade for each of the subscriptions 111 a-113 and the WLAN interface 114and rankings may be changed in a ranking update scenario 205 asillustrated in FIG. 2B, and an updated link priority list 210 a may begenerated. The ranking of subscriptions for the networks 211 a may bechanged based on changes in the various ranking factors such as a SINR212 a, a cost 212 a, a PWR 213 a, a CQI 215 a and a RSSI 216 a. In theupdated ranking reflected in the updated link priority list 210 a, theWLAN 104 may become the most suitable alternative having superiorrankings in all of the factors, such as the SINR 212 a, the cost 213 a,the PWR 214 a, the CQI 215 a and the RSSI 216 a. Thus in embodiments, anup-to-date list of the relative priorities may be available so that themost suitable subscription may be selected, either manually orautomatically for a call. The call may be a first call or may be asecond call or additional call that is originated when a first callquality is degraded. Further in the present example, during the pendencyof the first call, the call quality of the first subscription maydegrade and a second call may be established, as will be described ingreater detail below, to select the next most suitable alternative.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example of selecting an alternative for a secondcall on a display 311 a of a calling party device 310 a, such as amulti-SIM communication device, and displaying a notification of aselection of an alternative on a display 311 b of a called party device310 b. The calling party device 310 a may determine that a first call isdegrading, whereupon a display window 320 may be presented on thedisplay 311 a of the calling party device 310 a. The display window 320may contain a list of alternatives for placing a second call such as SIMN 321, WLAN 322 and SIM 2 323. For ease of discussion, a hypotheticaltelephone number associated with the Nth subscription is shown, e.g.(022) 12345678. The telephone number is presumably different from thetelephone number associated with the first call. When the networkalternative is selected, such as SIM N 321, a notification message maybe sent to the called party through, for example, an SMS message asdescribed herein. On a display window 330, which may be presented on thedisplay 311 b of the called party device 310 b, the SMS message may bereceived and presented in a message window 331 indicating the callingparty and the calling party number, such that when the second call isplaced the called party may recognize the incoming call and recognizethat it is a continuation of the first call in response to degradationof the first call. In various embodiments, the called party may providean acceptance of the message by typing a response in a text entry window332. The message displayed in the message window 331 may beautomatically generated, or may be entered manually by a user of thecalling party device 310 a. When the calling party device 310 a isconfigured for automatic selection of the alternative for the secondcall, the message may be automatically generated.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3B, a notification of a secondcall may be provided using an application that is installed andoperative on the calling party device 310 a and the called party device310 b, such as a messaging application 340. General examples ofmessaging application may include Instant Messaging (IM) applications,messenger applications, chat applications, social media applications,and other applications that are capable of being installed on devices ofcalling and called parties to provide network based messages. In someembodiments, the application may provide a pop-up message that willappear as a top level window on the display of the receiving partyregardless of what activity the user of the receiving party is engagedin. On the calling party side, the messaging application 340 a may beused to generate, either automatically or manually a message 341 a thatindicates at least the calling party name information and the callingparty number information. The message 341 a may be entered using a textentry window 342 a and may be sent with a send button 343 a. The message341 a may be received at the called party device 310 b and displayedusing the messaging application 340 b. A message 341 b may appear in thedisplay window of the application 340 b indicating the calling partyname information and calling party number information. The called partymay enter a response “OK” in a text entry window 342 b and send theresponse using the send button 343 b. The response may be received bythe calling party and displayed as a message 344 a in the display windowof the messaging application 340 a.

The call flow diagram in FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment generallydesignated 400 for intimating a second call from a device 410, such as amulti-SIM device when a first call is in progress and degrading inquality. The multi-SIM communication device 410 may have previouslyestablished a call based on the link priority list 210, or the updatedlink priority list 210 a as previously described. The calling party sideof the first call may be represented, for example, as a leg 411 a of acurrent call initiated from the first SIM 1 411 through a transmitresource module (TRM) 413. The TRM 413 may establish and maintain a leg413 a of the current call to the first service network 401. The firstservice network 401 may establish and maintain a link 401 a of thecurrent call to a UE 420 associated with the called party based on asubscription associated with a SIM M 421, which may be a subscription toany network, such as a network M. The UE 420 may be connect to or routedto by way of interactions with a network, such as the network M, whichmay be may be associated with a home location. Alternatively, thenetwork M may be a local or visited network. In various embodiments, theUE 420 may be a single subscription or multi-subscription deviceincluding a subscription to the first network, the second network, orother network. Detailed call related interaction between the network Massociated with the UE 420, when different from the first network 401 orthe second network 402, is omitted for ease of description. The UE 420may establish and maintain the called party side of the current callwith the multi-SIM communication device 410, for example, through a leg421 a to the service network 401 and a leg 401 b to the TRM 413 and aleg 413 b to the SIM 1 411.

During the current call, a quality degradation may occur associated withthe first SIM 1 411. Determining that the call quality of the first callis degrading may be performed relatively rapidly by various mechanismsassociated with measuring or monitoring signal quality relatedinformation in the multi-SIM communication device 410 and/or the firstnetwork 401. When it is determined that the current call is degrading,the link priority list 210 or the updated link priority list 210 a maybe presented and a selection may be made for an alternative with whichto originate a second call or new call. Presenting the list may includemaking the list available to the multi-SIM communication device 410 forautomatic selection based on suitability or priority. Presenting thelist may also include displaying the alternatives to the user on adisplay of the multi-SIM communication device 410 and the alternativemay be selected based on suitability or priority or the user may selectany alternative. When the alternative for the second call is selected,the multi-SIM communication device 410 may intimate the second call tothe UE 420. Intimation of the new call may involve sending anotification to the UE 420 including information associated with thecalling party, e.g. device 410. The information may include the name ofthe calling party, the new number of the calling party on the newnetwork for the new call, and other information that may assist thecalled party, e.g. UE 420, in identifying that the new call is from thecalling party.

In embodiments, the intimation or notification may be performed bysending a short message service (SMS) message from the calling party tothe called party on the network of the current call. Alternatively,other messaging mechanisms may be used such as enhanced messagingservice (EMS), multimedia messaging service MMS, wireless applicationprotocol (WAP) push messaging, or other messaging mechanism. In otherembodiments, the intimation or notification may be performed using othermechanism, such as mechanisms that may be implemented in the networksincluding the network for the current call, the network for the newcall, or other network services mechanism. In some embodiments, anapplication, including application that uses internet based messaging,that is executing on both the calling party device and the called partydevice may be used for the intimation or notification. Such anapplication may allow sending and receiving pop-up messages or alerts,including internet-based message mechanisms (e.g., http), that mayindicate, for example to the called party that the calling party willattempt a second call on a second network, WLAN or other networkalternative. Other messaging alternatives may include instant messaging(IM) applications or services and social media applications or services.

In one example, a leg 413 c for the intimation may be established to thefirst network 401, and a leg 401 c for the intimation may be establishedto the UE 420 to provide the intimation or notification. In anotherexample, a leg 413 d may be established to a network selected for thenew call, such as a second network 402. A leg 402 a may be establishedto the UE 420 to provide the intimation or notification. In stillanother example, a leg 413 e may be established to the first network410, a leg 401 d established to the second network 402, and a leg 402 bestablished to the UE 420 to provide the intimation or notification. Instill other examples, networks or mechanisms other than the firstnetwork 401 and the second network 402 may be used to provide theintimation or notification.

When the intimation or notification has been sent to the called party,such as the UE 420, a new call may be established using the selectedalternative, such as a second subscription SIM 2 412. The SIM 2 412 mayestablish a leg 412 a of the new call with the TRM 413. A leg 413 f ofthe new call may be established with the second network 402. A leg 402 cmay be established with the UE 420. The UE when receiving the incomingcall may recognize that the call is from the calling party, e.g., device410, based on the intimation and accept the call. A leg 421 b may beestablished between the UE 420 and the second network 402. A leg 402 dmay be established between the second network 402 and the TRM 413 of themulti-SIM communication device 410. And the new call may be establishedwith a leg 413 g through the SIM 2 412.

In the present and other examples, the SIM 1 411 and the SIM 2 412 andthe TRM 413 are described in connection with, for example, establishingand maintaining the current call and new call in various embodiments.However, other elements and modules that are not specificallyillustrated and described may be required for completing the call inaccordance with communication protocols and methods depending on thetype of networks and services associated with the multi-SIMcommunication device 410, the UE 420, the first network 401, the secondnetwork 402 and other networks. Further, the elements such as SIM 1 411and SIM 2 412, may perform functions that are directly or indirectlyrelated to call processing, while other elements, processors, modules,or resources may be required to perform various call related functions.In the present example, when the multi-SIM communication device 410includes a MSMA device or other device that may allow the new call to beestablished while the current call is in progress, the current call maybe discarded and the conversation or session between the multi-SIMcommunication device 410 and the UE 420 may be continued or resumed onthe new call. To discard the current call, the user may terminate or endthe call, or may switch to the new call, through interaction with a userinterface associated with the multi-SIM communication device 410. TheSIM 1 411 may signal on a leg 411 b to the TRM 413, for example, torelease radio resources or take other steps to end the current call. TheTRM 413 may signal on a leg 413 h to the first network 401 to discardthe call. Further signaling by first network to the UE 420, or to aservice network, such as network M, associated with the UE 420 isomitted for ease of description.

FIG. 4B includes a call flow diagram illustrating communicationsimplementing another embodiment generally designated 405, for intimatinga second call from a device 410, such as a multi-SIM device, and, morespecifically, a device that allows one active subscription. In theillustrated example, a second call may be intimated when a first call isin progress and degrading in quality. As with the example illustrated inFIG. 4A, the multi-SIM communication device 410 may have previouslyestablished a call based on the link priority list 210, or the updatedlink priority list 210 a as previously described. The calling party sideof the first call may be represented, for example, as a leg 411 a of acurrent call initiated from the first SIM 1 411 through the TRM 413. TheTRM 413 may establish and maintain a leg 413 a of the current call tothe first service network 401. The first service network 401 mayestablish and maintain a link 401 a of the current call to a UE 420associated with the called party based on a subscription associated witha SIM M 421, which may be a subscription to any network, such as thenetwork M. The UE 420 may be connect to or routed to by way ofinteractions with a network, such as the network M, as described abovein connection with FIG. 4A, details of which interactions are omittedfor ease of description. The UE 420 may establish and maintain thecalled party side of the current call with the multi-SIM communicationdevice 410, for example, through a leg 421 a to the service network 401and a leg 401 b to the TRM 413 and a leg 413 b to the SIM 1 411.

During the current call, a quality degradation may occur associated withthe first SIM 1 411. The call degradation may be detected as describedabove in connection with FIG. 4A. When it is determined that the currentcall is degrading, the link priority list 210 or the updated linkpriority list 210 a may be presented and a selection may be made for analternative with which to originate a second call or new call.Presenting the list may include making the list available to themulti-SIM communication device 410 for automatic selection based onsuitability or priority. Presenting the list may also include displayingthe alternatives to the user on a display of the multi-SIM communicationdevice 410 and the alternative may be selected based on suitability orpriority or the user may select any alternative. When the alternativefor the second call is selected, the multi-SIM communication device 410may intimate the second call to the UE 420, as also described above withreference to FIG. 4A. In the present example, an acceptance message ornotification may be returned to the multi-SIM communication device 410through the first network 401, the second network 402, or a combinationof the first network 401 and the second network 402.

When the intimation or notification has been sent to the called party ofthe current call, such as the UE 420, and an acceptance message ornotification is received from the called party by the calling party,such as the multi-SIM communication device 410, the current call may bediscarded. In a device, such as a MSMS device, in which only onesubscription may be active, the current call may be discarded in orderfor the new call to be established. To discard the current call, whichmay involve the user terminating or ending the call through interactionwith a user interface associated with the multi-SIM communication device410, the SIM 1 411 may signal on a leg 411 b to the TRM 413, forexample, to release radio resources or take other steps to end thecurrent call. The TRM 413 may signal on a leg 413 i to the first network401 to discard the call. Further signaling by and between the firstnetwork 401 and the UE 420, or a service network, such as network M,associated with discarding the call on the called party side, such asthe UE 420, is omitted for ease of description.

The new call may be established using the selected alternative, such asa second subscription SIM 2 412. The SIM 2 412 may establish a leg 412 bof the new call with the TRM 413. A leg 413 j of the new call may beestablished with the second network 402. A leg 402 d may be establishedwith the UE 420. Based on the previously accepted intimation, the UE420, when receiving the incoming call may recognize that the call isfrom the calling party, e.g., device 410, and accept the new call. A leg421 c may be established between the UE 420 and the second network 402.A leg 402 e may be established with the TRM 413 of the multi-SIMcommunication device 410. And the new call may be established with a leg413k through the SIM 2 412. In the present example, when the multi-SIMcommunication device 410 includes a MSMS device or other device that maynot allow the new call to be established while the current call is inprogress, the current call may be discarded first before the new call isestablished. When the new call is established the conversation orsession between the multi-SIM communication device 410 and the UE 420may be continued or resumed on the new call.

The call flow diagram in FIG. 4C illustrates another embodimentgenerally designated 410, for intimating a second call from a device410, such as a multi-SIM device. In the illustrated example, a secondcall may be intimated when a first call is in progress and degrading inquality. As with the examples illustrated in FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4B, themulti-SIM communication device 410 may have previously established acall based on the link priority list 210, or the updated link prioritylist 210 a as previously described. The calling party side of the firstcall may be represented, for example, as a leg 411 a of a current callinitiated from the first SIM 1 411 through the TRM 413. The TRM 413 mayestablish and maintain a leg 413 a of the current call to the firstservice network 401. The first service network 401 may establish andmaintain a link 401 a of the current call to a UE 420 associated withthe called party based on a subscription associated with a SIM M 421,which may be a subscription to any network, such as the network M. TheUE 420 may be connect to or routed to by way of interactions with anetwork, such as the network M, as described above in connection withFIG. 4A, details of which interactions are omitted for ease ofdescription. The UE 420 may establish and maintain the called party sideof the current call with the multi-SIM communication device 410, forexample, through a leg 421 a to the service network 401 and a leg 401 bto the TRM 413 and a leg 413 b to the SIM 1 411.

During the current call, a quality degradation may occur associated withthe first SIM 1 411. The call degradation may be detected as describedabove in connection with FIG. 4A. When it is determined that the currentcall is degrading, the link priority list 210 or the updated linkpriority list 210 a may be presented and a selection may be made,manually or automatically, for an alternative with which to originate asecond call or new call. When the alternative for the second call isselected, the multi-SIM communication device 410 may intimate the secondcall to the UE 420. In the present example, the alternative may involvea network such as WLAN 104, which may or may not require a subscription.In some embodiments, the WLAN 104 may use the same subscriptioninformation as the first call. The WLAN 104 may operate according to aninternet protocol (IP) and may involve establishing a connection with anetwork access point or other access node. In some examples, an IPrelated data connection, such as for a voice over IP (VoIP) call, may besimultaneously established while a current call is in progress using anetwork associated with the currently active subscription or anothersubscription. In such an example, the VoIP call may use the samesubscription information for the current call in progress. Thus,notification or intimation may not be required as the VoIP call may beestablished on the calling party end and the called party end of thecall remains unchanged. Packets associated with the new VoIP call may berouted to the called party without interrupting the called party end ofthe current call and the original call may be continued.

In the present example, setup of the VoIP call may be performed throughthe sending of a session initiation protocol (SIP) message to initiatethe new call, provided the called party is capable of receiving IP basedcalls either directly or through an appropriate gateway, server or otherdevice. The SIP message may include a SIP INVITE message 413 l, whichmay be directed to the called party, such as the UE 420 through the WLAN403. The WLAN 403 may send the SIP message, as a SIP INVITE message 403a directed to the UE 420. The SIP INVITE message 403 a may be direct tothe called party (e.g., UE 420), for example, through a SIP gateway, aproxy server, a server or series of servers, including resourcesavailable within the first network 401 and the WLAN network 403, orother networks including network M. The SIP INVITE message 403 a maycontain the information of the calling party such as the name and numberof the calling party. The information may be sufficient to allow thecalled party to know that the call is a continuation of the first calland the called party may accept the SIP INVITE message 403 a to allowthe call to be completed. Alternatively, the call may be established asa VoIP call on the calling party end and the called party end may remainunchanged. In one example embodiment, the SIP INVITE message 403 a maybe sent only to the first network 401, whereupon the first network 401will recognize that a packet voice call is already established with thecalled party. The first network 401 may “accept” the SIP INVITE message403 a and the call may be continued without any affect on or knowledgeof the change to VoIP on the part of the called party.

When the SIP INVITE is accepted, a SIP ACCEPT INVITE message 421 c maybe send from the UE 420 to the WLAN 403, possibly through the SIPgateway, proxy server or other SIP compatible entity. The WLAN 403 mayforward a SIP ACCPT INVITE message 403 b to the multi-SIM communicationdevice 410. When the SIP ACCEPT INVITE message 403 b is received, forexample, by the TRM 413, the current call may be discarded by themulti-SIM communication device 410. The SIM 1 411 may discard thecurrent call through a leg 411 d to the TRM 413. The TRM 413 may signalthe first network 401 to discard the current call through a leg 413 m.The UE 420 end of the call may be similarly discarded though not shown.Since the VoIP call may not use a subscription, the current call may bediscarded at any time before or after the establishment of the VoIPcall, provided that the radio resources associated, for example, withthe TRM 413, may allow simultaneous access by a subscription and theWLAN interface 104. When the current call is discarded, the new VoIPcall may be established by a leg 413 h to the WLAN 403 and a leg 403 cfrom the WLAN 403 to the UE 420. The UE 420 may establish a leg 421 d tothe WLAN 403. The WLAN 403 may establish a leg 403 d to the TRM 413 ofthe multi-SIM communication device 410 to complete the call. The variouslegs as described herein are illustrative and may represent a VoIPsession that is established between the various elements such as themulti-SIM communication device 410, the WLAN 403, the UE 420 andpossible intervening elements such as SIP gateways, proxy servers orother elements that facilitate a VoIP session or other packet datasession. Since data packets associated with a VoIP session may be routedacross a number of network elements, the legs may be generallyrepresentative of the data session between the multi-SIM communicationdevice 410 and the UE 420 (e.g., through the WLAN 403) and may not showother intermediate nodes.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment method 500 for selecting a subscriptionfor a call to a called party using a shared signal processing resourceof a multi-subscription device is illustrated. The method may includepowering up a system associated with the multi-subscription device,including processors, a radio module or modules, a signal processor, andSIM modules or interfaces, in block 502. The SIM modules or interfacesmay be activated, depending on whether the multi-SIM communicationdevice is a multi-active or multi-standby device, and may allowconnections between the subscriptions and respective networks. When thesubscriptions are connected to the respective networks, link qualitymeasurements and other information may be obtained in block 504. A listmay be generated and stored in a device memory, based on the measuredindications, priorities and other factors that may be used to rank thesubscription and non-subscription alternatives in an order ofsuitability in block 506.

When a user of the multi-subscription device begins dialing a number, anindication may be made to the multi-subscription device system that amobile originated (MO) call is taking place in block 508. The indicationof an MO call may enable the multi-subscription device to display thelist of subscriptions in an order of suitability for completing the callin block 510. When the list is displayed, one of the subscriptions ornetworks may be selected for completing the call based on thesuitability, either automatically or manually by the user in block 512.The multi-SIM communication device may be configured to alwaysautomatically select the most suitable subscription or network in whichcase the list need not be displayed for selection in block 512, althoughinformation about which subscription or network was automaticallyselected may be displayed.

When the subscription or network is selected, call setup for the callmay be completed using the selected subscription or network in block514. While the current call is in progress, link quality and otherfactors may be measured or obtained for the current subscription ornetwork associated with the current call and other subscriptions andnetworks in block 516. The suitability list may be updated and possiblyreordered based on newly obtained measurements and other information toprovide a new suitability ranking or confirm the existing ranking inblock 518.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment method 600 of performing intimation ornotification of a second call to be originated to a called party isillustrated. During monitoring, as described above in connection withFIG. 5, a determination may be made, such as through a recognition of adegradation of quality related indicators, such as SINR, RSSI, CQI, orother factors as described above, that the current call to a calledparty may be degrading in block 602. The recognition of degradation mayinvolve the recognition that respective indicator or indicators, orother factors, may be falling below a predetermined threshold level, ormay be displaying a falling trend that indicates that the factors maysoon fall below a threshold level. When the degradation condition isdetermined, the suitability list of subscriptions and networks may bedisplayed in an order of suitability for originating a second call tothe called party in block 604. When the list is displayed, one of thesubscriptions or networks may be selected for completing the second callbased on the suitability, either automatically or manually by the userin block 606. The multi-SIM communication device may be configured toalways automatically select the most suitable subscription or network inwhich case the list need not be displayed for selection in block 606,although information about which subscription or network wasautomatically selected may be displayed.

When the subscription for completing the second call is selected, thecall may be intimated to the called party in block 608 using anotification mechanism that includes information including but notlimited to the calling party name, telephone number associated with thesecond subscription, and other information that may be used by thecalled party to recognize that the second call may be from the callingparty associated with the current call or first call. The mechanism maybe associated with the subscription for the current call, from thesubscription for the second call, or other mechanism such as a networkbased mechanism. In some embodiments, a notification may be receivedfrom the called party indicating an acceptance of the intimation ornotification.

When the selected subscription or network is active (e.g., determinationblock 612=“YES”) the second call may be completed using the selectednetwork in block 614. The first call may be discarded when the secondcall is completed in block 616. When the selected subscription ornetwork is not active (e.g., determination block 612=“NO”), such as inconnection with a multi-subscription multi-standby device, the firstcall may be discarded in block 618. The SIM for the subscriptionselected for the second call may be activated in block 620. The secondcall may be completed using the selected network in block 622. When thesecond call is completed the conversation between the calling party andthe called party may be resumed in block 624. While the methodembodiment may be ended with the completion of the second call, e.g., inblock 616 and block 624, additional iterations of the method may beperformed under conditions whereby the quality of the second calldegrades to establish a third call on a next-most-suitable subscriptionor network. Further, some delay or hysteresis or other conditions may beapplied or imposed to prevent rapid switching between subscriptions.

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrates alternative embodiment method 700 a, 700 b, 700c for intimation of a second call to a called party are illustrated.When a subscription or network is selected for a second call, eithermanually or automatically, in block 702, the second call may beintimated to the called party on the first network, e.g. during thefirst call in method 700 a illustrated in FIG. 7A. Intimation may beperformed by sending a notification of the second call to the calledparty using an SMS message sent on the subscription or networkassociated with the current call or first call in block 704. The SMSmessage may contain called party information such as the called partynumber, and calling party information such as the calling party name andthe calling information for the second call, including the originatingphone number of the second call, so that the called party may know thatthe second call is from the calling party and represents a continuationof the first call. The SMS message may further contain informationregarding the reason for the second call, e.g., quality degradation ofthe first call. In a GSM network, for example, the SMS message may besent, for example, on the slow associated control channel (SACCH)associated with the first call while the first call is in progress.Depending on whether the multi-SIM communication device associated withthe calling party supports multiple active subscriptions, the secondcall may be completed with or without discarding the first call.Further, the second call may be completed with or without receiving anindication of whether the second call is accepted or will be accepted bythe called party. While one example of a mechanism to send the SMSmessage is described above, other mechanisms may be possible dependingon the evolution of the network and the supported modes of operation ofthe network.

In the embodiment method 700 b illustrated in FIG. 7B, when subscriptionor network is selected for a second call, either manually orautomatically, in block 706, the second call may be intimated to thecalled party on the second network before a second call is set up.Intimation may be performed by sending a notification of the second callto the called party using an SMS message sent on the subscription ornetwork associated with the second call in block 708. In a GSM network,for example, the SMS may be sent based on an exchange of messagingbetween the multi-SIM communication device and the second networkstarting with receipt of a paging message on the paging channel (PCH)associated with the second network. The calling party may respond with achannel request on the random access channel (RACH) and may receive amessage on the access grant channel (AGCH) indicating the availablestand alone dedicated control channel (SDCCH), which may be used beforea traffic channel (TCH) is assigned. The message may be sent on theSDCCH channel to the called party. If a traffic channel is assignedbefore the message is sent, the message may be sent as in the aboveexample, using the SACCH. In some embodiments, the second call may beestablished using the assigned TCH to improve latency.

In embodiment method 700 c illustrated in FIG. 7C, when a wireless localarea network (WLAN) is selected for a second call, either manually orautomatically, in block 712, the second call to the called party on thesecond network may be initiated. A voice over IP (VoIP) service may beinitiated in block 714, such as a session initiation protocol (SIP) useragent (UA) or user agent client (UAC) to send and receive messages. Thecalling party may be identified using a universal resource identifier(URI) associated with the multi-subscription device and may contact thecalled party with a URI associated with the called party. The URI mayidentify a communication resource and may include a telephone number,email address, or other identifier of a communications resource. In thepresent example, initiation of the second call may be performed by theWLAN in block 716 by sending a SIP INVITE message toward the calledparty, or through an agent associated with the called party. In oneexample embodiment, the SIP INVITE may be sent to the first networkassociated with the first subscription and the calling party. The firstnetwork may recognize that a packet voice session is already in progresswith the called party. The SIP INVITE may be accepted by the network toset up a VoIP on the leg of the call between the calling party and thefirst network. Remaining legs of the call on the called party side maybe unchanged and the call may be continued.

When the UE associated with the called party has an IP capability, thecall may be directed to the URI associated with the called party UE.When the UE does not have an IP capability, it may nevertheless bepossible to direct the call to the mobile number associated with thecalled party through a VoIP termination gateway, or other mechanism,that may be co-located with mobile switching equipment associated withthe called party. The VoIP termination gateway may convert VoIP data andsignaling from the calling party into data and signaling compatible withthe called party and may convert the data and signaling from the calledparty into VoIP messages and signaling. In an optional exampleembodiment, the called party may accept the SIP INVITE and the callingparty may receive a SIP ACCEPT INVITE from the called party in block718.

The SIP setup procedure may be completed and the second call may beestablished in block 720. In various embodiments, such as when the VoIPcall is established using only the leg of the call between the callingparty and the first network, or when the subscription informationassociated with the first call is used in the SIP INVITE message, thecalled party may not be aware that the calling party has switched to aVoIP call, and the call may proceed without significant interruption.Voice packets may be routed from the calling party to the called partyin a similar manner as packets from the first call. Thus, the calledparty end may remain unaffected by the switch to the VoIP call on thecalling party end.

In advanced evolutions, such as the planned long term evolution (LTE) ofnetworks designed in accordance with various specifications under theThird Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), SMS may be sent in anon-access layer of the network protocol, via a newly specified SGsinterface that supports circuit-switched fallback (CSFB). An SMS messagemay be encapsulated in the non-access stratum (NAS) signaling protocolused between the UE and a mobility management entity (MME). SMS messagesmay be forwarded between the mobile switching center (MSC)/visitedlocation register (VLR) where the UE is currently registered in thecombined evolved packet-switched system (EPS)/international mobilesubscriber identity (IMSI) attach procedure. The SGs interface ispositioned between MME and MSC/VLR. All entities supporting CSFB (MME,MSC and UE) are required to support SMS via SGs although entities thatsupport SMS via SGs not necessarily have to support CSFB. Theimplementation of SMS via SGs may involve only the MME, MSC and UE, ofwhich only the MSC may belong to the legacy circuit switched network.

For voice-over LTE (VoLTE) implementation, SMS may be carried via IP(SMS-over-IP), whereby the SMS message may be carried as a payloadwithin the SIP protocol. A VoLTE handset may be configured to supportSIP, and SMS messages may be sent as an encapsulated data in a SIPMESSAGE addressed to the IP multimedia public identity (IMPU) of therecipient. The SIP MESSAGE may be received and processed by the servingcall state control function (S-CSCF) node serving the recipient. Routingdecisions for the SIP MESSAGE may be made according to subscriptionprofile of the recipient and network operator policy. If the S-CSCFdetermines that the SIP MESSAGE can not be forwarded to the recipientvia the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) domain, such as when the recipientis “off-line” (e.g., not currently attached to the IMS domain), the SIPMESSAGE may be routed to an IP short message gateway (IP-SM-GW) where itmay be interworked to the legacy SMS domain. The SIP MESSAGE may bedecapsulated and the SMS payload may be extracted and forwarded as anormal SMS. The recipient may then receive the SMS via the legacycircuit switched network, for example, at the transport-level. In otherconfigurations, the IP-SM-GW may be involved when service-levelinterworking is needed, such as when an SMS needs to be interworked witha (open mobile alliance) OMA-SIMPLE or OMA-CPM SIP MESSAGE, which istypically used in connection with more advanced communication services.While several examples of messaging mechanisms have been describedherein above, these examples are intended to be illustrative andnon-limiting. It will be noted that under current networkconfigurations, and as standards evolve, many alternatives are possiblewithout departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 8, a block diagram of a particular illustrativeembodiment of a portable electronic device may be depicted and generallydesignated 800. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device 800 ofFIG. 8 includes or may be included within the multi-SIM communicationdevice 110 of FIG. 1C. Further, all or part of the methods describedabove with reference to FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 may be performed at orby the portable electronic device 800 of FIG. 8. The portable electronicdevice 800 includes a processor, such as a digital signal processor(DSP) 810, coupled to a memory 832. The memory 832 may include acomputer readable tangible medium that stores instructions 860, at leastone priority criteria 862, and historical information 864. Theinstructions 860 may be executable by the DSP 810, and may be executableby other processors, controller, or logic.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the portable electronic device800 includes a first SIM interface 872, a second SIM interface 876 andadditional SIM interfaces up to an Nth interface 880. The first SIMinterface 872 may perform the function of receiving a first SIM 872 thatmay be associated with a first subscription, the second SIM interface876 may perform the function of receiving a second SIM 874 that may beassociated with a second subscription and the Nth SIM interface 880 mayperform the function of receiving an Nth SIM 878. For example, at leastone of the SIM interfaces 872, 876, 878 may be a SIM card connector thatincludes a body having an accommodating space for a SIM card andmultiple connected-through receptacles for receiving conductingterminals of a received SIM card. An electrical signaling contact withthe SIM card may be made through the conducting terminals and thereceptacles. An example interface may include a serial or parallel(e.g., 6-pin, 8-pin, N-pin) connection. Further, multiple SIM card sizesmay be accommodated (e.g., full-size, mini-SIM, or micro-SIM). Inalternative embodiments, the portable electronic device 800 may notinclude multiple SIM interfaces when multiple subscriptions areassociated with a common UIM (e.g., a common SIM).

FIG. 8 also shows a display controller 826 that may be coupled to thedigital signal processor 810 and to a display 828. A coder/decoder(CODEC) 834 may also be coupled to the digital signal processor 810 forgenerating digital signals from analog signals and vice versa accordingto an encoding and decoding scheme. A speaker 836 and a microphone 838may be coupled to the CODEC 834. FIG. 8 also illustrates that a wirelesscontroller 840 may be coupled to the digital signal processor 810, toone or more signal processing resources (e.g., RF resources 842), and toa wireless antenna 844. In addition to connections to varioussubscription networks as described herein, network connections to alocal area network, such as connections to the WLAN 104, may beaccomplished through the wireless controller 840. In a particularembodiment, the wireless controller 840 may include or be includedwithin the controller 120 of FIG. 1C, and the RF resources 842 maycorrespond to the signal processing resource(s) 106 of the single Rx-Txchain 104 of FIG. 1C.

The wireless controller 840 may perform the function of managingrequests to access a signal processing resource (e.g., one or more RFresources 842) during various access periods or intervals, related tothe first subscription, the second subscription, the Nth subscriptionand requests to access the WLAN 104. For example, amulti-SIM-multi-standby communication device (e.g., an MSMScommunication device) or a multi-SIM, multi-active communication device(e.g., a MSMA communication device), the wireless controller 840 maymanage contention among a plurality of SIMs and an arbitrary combinationof multiple radio technologies. The wireless controller 840 may furtherperform the function of managing the granting of access to the signalprocessing resource to the first subscription, the second subscription,the Nth subscription and the WLAN, during various access periods orintervals. In various embodiments, the MSMS communication device mayassume or determine the paging retransmission schedule (the“retransmission interval”) of a mobile switching center server (“MSC”).The MSC may schedule paging messages to be transmitted to a subscriptionon the MSMS communication device attempting to perform discontinuousreception (“DRX”). If the subscription does not respond to the page, theMSC may schedule a retransmission of the paging message (a “repeatedpage”) during a future retransmission interval.

The wireless controller 840 may further perform the function ofmeasuring or obtaining information that may be related to the prioritycriteria 862 and/or the historical information 864 and may be used toupdate information related to previous subscription access to the signalprocessing resource, such as link quality related measurements.

In a particular embodiment, the DSP 810, the display controller 826, thememory 832, the CODEC 834, the wireless controller 840, and the RFresources 842 are included in a system-in-package or system-on-chipdevice 822. In a particular embodiment, an input device 830 and a powersupply 846 are coupled to the system-on-chip device 822. Moreover, in aparticular embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the display 828, theinput device 830, the speaker 836, the microphone 838, the wirelessantenna 844, the power supply 846, the first SIM 870, the first SIMinterface 872, the second SIM 874, and the second SIM interface 876 areexternal to the system-on-chip device 822. However, each of the display828, the input device 830, the speaker 836, the microphone 838, thewireless antenna 844, the power supply 846, the first SIM 870, the firstSIM interface 872, the second SIM 874, and the second SIM interface 876may be coupled to a component of the system-on-chip device 822, such asan interface or a controller.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrativelogical blocks, configurations, modules, circuits, and algorithm stepsdescribed in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may beimplemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinationsof both. Various illustrative components, blocks, configurations,modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally interms of their functionality. Whether such functionality may beimplemented as hardware or software depends upon the particularapplication and design constraints imposed on the overall system.Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varyingways for each particular application, but such implementation decisionsshould not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

The foregoing method descriptions and the process flow diagrams areprovided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to requireor imply that the steps of the various embodiments must be performed inthe order presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the artthe order of steps in the foregoing embodiments may be performed in anyorder. Words such as “thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc. are not intendedto limit the order of the steps; these words are simply used to guidethe reader through the description of the methods. Further, anyreference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using thearticles “a,” “an” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting theelement to the singular.

The hardware used to implement the various illustrative logics, logicalblocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the aspectsdisclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purposeprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic,discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed toperform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor maybe a microprocessor, but, in the alternative, the processor may be anyconventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. Aprocessor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices,e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality ofmicroprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSPcore, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some steps ormethods may be performed by circuitry that may be specific to a givenfunction.

In one or more exemplary aspects, the functions described may beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or moreinstructions or code (i.e., processor-executable instructions) on anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium or non-transitoryprocessor-readable storage medium. The steps of a method or algorithmdisclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable softwaremodule which may reside on a non-transitory computer-readable orprocessor-readable storage medium. Non-transitory computer-readable orprocessor-readable storage media may be any storage media that may beaccessed by a computer or a processor. By way of example but notlimitation, such non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readablestorage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, FLASH memory, CD-ROM orother optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium that may be used to store desiredprogram code in the form of instructions or data structures and that maybe accessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, includescompact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc(DVD), floppy disk, and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce datamagnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers.Combinations of the above are also included within the scope ofnon-transitory computer-readable and processor-readable media.Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as oneor any combination or set of codes and/or instructions on anon-transitory processor-readable storage medium and/orcomputer-readable storage medium, which may be incorporated into acomputer program product.

The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments may be providedto enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention.Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein maybe applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention. Thus, the invention is not intended to belimited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widestscope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novelfeatures disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of establishing a second call as acontinuation of a first call on a multi-subscriber identity module (SIM)communication device, comprising: determining whether a quality of thefirst call between a calling party and a called party using a firstsubscription for a first network is degrading; providing networkalternatives for establishing the second call in response to determiningthat the quality of the first call is degrading; selecting one of thenetwork alternatives based on an order of suitability for establishingthe second call, wherein the selected one of the network alternativescomprises a second SIM associated with a second network; and notifyingthe called party using information associated with the calling party andthe second call before the second call is originated, the informationassociated with the second call identifying the calling party to thecalled party before the second call is originated, wherein notifying thecalled party comprises sending a short message service (SMS) to thecalled party on the second network including the information associatedwith the second call.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:discarding the first call between the calling party and the called partyusing the first subscription before the second call is originated;activating the selected one of the network alternatives for originatingthe second call; and completing the second call between the callingparty and the called party using the activated network alternative. 3.The method of claim 1, further comprising: completing the second callbetween the calling party and the called party using the selected one ofthe network alternatives; and discarding the first call between thecalling party and the called party using the first subscription when thesecond call is completed.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving an acceptance associated with notifying the called party usinginformation associated with the calling party and the second call. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a quality of thefirst call using a first subscription is degrading comprises: obtaininglink quality information associated with the first call; and determiningwhether a value of the obtained link quality information is below athreshold.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the obtained link qualityinformation includes one or more of: a signal information to noise ratio(SINR), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a call qualityindex (CQI), and a transmit power level.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein selecting one of the network alternatives based on an order ofsuitability for originating the second call comprises: displaying a listof the network alternatives in an order of suitability for originatingthe second call; and receiving a selection of one network alternativefrom the list of the network alternatives.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein selecting one of the network alternatives based on an order ofsuitability for originating the second call comprises automaticallyselecting the one of the network alternatives from a list of the networkalternatives arranged in an order of suitability for originating thesecond call.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the SMS includessending the SMS using an application installed on a calling party deviceand a called party device, wherein the application includes one of amessenger application, an instant messaging application, and a socialmedia application.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein: sending the SMScomprises sending the SMS on a first leg using the second network andsending the SMS on a second leg to the called party using the firstnetwork including the information associated with the second call. 11.The method of claim 1, wherein: the selected one of the networkalternatives comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN); the secondcall comprises a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call; and sendingthe SMS comprises sending the SMS encapsulated in a session initiationprotocol (SIP) MESSAGE to the called party on the WLAN including theinformation associated with the second call.
 12. A multi-subscriberidentity module (SIM) communication device, comprising: a processorconfigured with processor-executable instructions to: determine whethera quality of a first call between a calling party and a called partyusing a first SIM associated with a first one of a plurality of networksubscriptions for a first network is degrading; provide networkalternatives for establishing a second call in response to determiningthat the quality of the first call is degrading; select one of thenetwork alternatives based on an order of suitability for establishingthe second call, wherein the selected one of the network alternativescomprises a second SIM associated with a second network; and notify thecalled party using information associated with the calling party and thesecond call before the second call is originated, the informationassociated with the second call identifying the calling party to thecalled party before the second call is originated, wherein the processoris configured with processor-executable instructions to notify thecalled party by sending a short message service (SMS) to the calledparty on the second network including the information associated withthe second call.
 13. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 12,wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executableinstructions to: discard the first call between the calling party andthe called party using the first one of the plurality of networksubscriptions before the second call is originated; activate theselected one of the network alternatives for originating the secondcall; and complete the second call between the calling party and thecalled party using the activated selected one of the networkalternatives.
 14. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 12,wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executableinstructions to: complete the second call between the calling party andthe called party using the selected one of the network alternatives; anddiscard the first call between the calling party and the called partyusing the first one of the plurality of network subscriptions for afirst network when the second call is completed.
 15. The multi-SIMcommunication device of claim 12, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured with processor-executable instructions to receive anacceptance associated with notifying the called party using informationassociated with the calling party and the second call.
 16. The multi-SIMcommunication device of claim 12, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured with processor-executable instructions to determine whether aquality of the first call using a first one of the plurality of networksubscriptions for a first network is degrading by: obtaining linkquality information associated with the first call; and determiningwhether a value of the obtained link quality information is below athreshold.
 17. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 16, whereinthe obtained link quality information includes one or more of: a signalinformation to noise ratio (SINR), a received signal strength indicator(RSSI), a call quality index (CQI), and a transmit power level.
 18. Themulti-SIM communication device of claim 12, further comprising adisplay, wherein the processor is further configured withprocessor-executable instructions to select one of the networkalternatives based on an order of suitability for originating the secondcall by: displaying a list of the network alternatives in an order ofsuitability for originating the second call on the display; andreceiving a selection of the one of the network alternatives from thelist of the network alternatives.
 19. The multi-SIM communication deviceof claim 12, wherein the processor is configured withprocessor-executable instructions to select one of the networkalternatives based on an order of suitability for originating the secondcall by automatically selecting the one of the network alternatives froma list of network alternatives arranged in an order of suitability fororiginating the second call.
 20. The multi-SIM communication device ofclaim 12, wherein the processor is further configured withprocessor-executable instructions to send the SMS by sending the SMSusing an application installed on a calling party device and a calledparty device, wherein the application includes one of a messengerapplication, an instant messaging application, and a social mediaapplication.
 21. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 12, whereinthe processor is configured with processor-executable instructions toperform operations such that: the selected one of the networkalternatives comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN); the secondcall comprises a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call; and sendingthe SMS comprises sending the SMS encapsulated in a session initiationprotocol (SIP) MESSAGE to the called party on the WLAN including theinformation associated with the second call.
 22. A multi-subscriberidentity module (SIM) communication device, comprising: means fordetermining whether a quality of a first call between a calling partyand a called party using a first SIM associated with a first one of aplurality of network subscriptions for a first network is degrading;means providing network alternatives for establishing a second call inresponse to determining that the quality of the first call is degrading;means for selecting one of the network alternatives based on an order ofsuitability for establishing the second call; and means for notifyingthe called party using information associated with the calling party andthe second call before the second call is originated, the informationassociated with the second call identifying the calling party to thecalled party before the second call is originated, wherein: means forselecting one of the network alternatives comprises means for selectinga second network associated with a second SIM associated with a secondone of the plurality of network subscriptions; and means for notifyingthe called party using information associated with the calling party andthe second call before the second call is originated comprises means forsending a short message service (SMS) to the called party on the secondnetwork including the information associated with the second call. 23.The multi-SIM communication device of claim 22, further comprising:means for discarding the first call between the calling party and thecalled party using the first one of the plurality of networksubscriptions before the second call is originated; means for activatingthe selected one of the network alternatives for originating the secondcall; and means for completing the second call between the calling partyand the called party using the activated selected one of the networkalternatives.
 24. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 22,further comprising: means for completing the second call between thecalling party and the called party using the selected one of the networkalternatives; and means for discarding the first call between thecalling party and the called party using the first when the second callis completed.
 25. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 22,further comprising means for receiving an acceptance of the notifyingthe called party using information associated with the calling party andthe second call.
 26. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 22,wherein means for determining whether a quality of the first call usingthe first SIM associated with the first one of the plurality of networksubscriptions is degrading comprises: means for obtaining link qualityinformation associated with the first call; and means for determiningwhether a value of the obtained link quality information is below athreshold.
 27. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 26, whereinthe obtained link quality information includes one or more of: a signalinformation to noise ratio (SINR), a received signal strength indicator(RSSI), a call quality index (CQI), and a transmit power level.
 28. Themulti-SIM communication device of claim 22, wherein means for selectinga network alternative based on an order of suitability for originatingthe second call comprises: means for displaying a list of networkalternatives in an order of suitability for originating the second callon a display; and means for receiving a selection of the networkalternative from the list of network alternatives.
 29. The multi-SIMcommunication device of claim 22, wherein means for selecting a networkalternative based on an order of suitability for originating the secondcall automatically comprises means for selecting the network alternativefrom a list of network alternatives arranged in an order of suitabilityfor originating the second call.
 30. The multi-SIM communication deviceof claim 22, wherein means for sending the SMS comprises means forsending the SMS using an application installed on a calling party deviceand a called party device, wherein the application includes one of amessenger application, an instant messaging application, and a socialmedia application.
 31. The multi-SIM communication device of claim 22,wherein: the selected one of the network alternatives comprises awireless local area network (WLAN); the second call comprises a voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) call; and means for sending the SMScomprises means for sending the SMS encapsulated in a session initiationprotocol (SIP) MESSAGE to the called party on the WLAN including theinformation associated with the second call.
 32. A non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium having stored thereonprocessor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of amulti-subscriber identity module (SIM) communication device to performoperations comprising: determining whether a quality of a first callbetween a calling party and a called party using a first one of aplurality of network subscriptions for a first network is degrading;providing network alternatives for establishing a second call inresponse to determining that the quality of the first call is degrading;selecting one of the network alternatives based on an order ofsuitability for establishing the second call, wherein the selected oneof the network alternatives comprises a second SIM associated with asecond network; and notifying the called party using informationassociated with the calling party and the second call before the secondcall is originated, the information associated with the second callidentifying the calling party to the called party before the second callis originated, wherein notifying the called party comprises sending ashort message service (SMS) to the called party on the second networkincluding the information associated with the second call.
 33. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the storedprocessor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processorof a multi-SIM communication device to perform operations furthercomprising: discarding the first call between the calling party and thecalled party using the first one of the plurality of networksubscriptions before the second call is originated; activating theselected one of the network alternatives for originating the secondcall; and completing the second call between the calling party and thecalled party using the activated selected one of the networkalternatives.
 34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim32, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configuredto cause the processor of a multi-SIM communication device to performoperations further comprising: completing the second call between thecalling party and the called party using the selected one of the networkalternatives; and discarding the first call between the calling partyand the called party using the first one of the plurality of networksubscriptions when the second call is completed.
 35. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the storedprocessor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processorof a multi-SIM communication device to perform operations furthercomprising: receiving an acceptance associated with notifying the calledparty using information associated with the calling party and the secondcall.
 36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32,wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured tocause the processor of a multi-SIM communication device to performoperations such that determining whether a quality of the first callusing a first one of a plurality of network subscriptions is degradingcomprises: obtaining link quality information associated with the firstcall; and determining whether a value of the obtained link qualityinformation is below a threshold.
 37. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 36, wherein the obtained link qualityinformation includes one or more of: a signal information to noise ratio(SINR), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a call qualityindex (CQI), and a transmit power level.
 38. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 32, wherein the stored processor-executableinstructions are configured to cause the processor of a multi-SIMcommunication device to perform operations such that selecting one ofthe network alternatives based on an order of suitability fororiginating the second call comprises: displaying a list of the networkalternatives in an order of suitability for originating the second callon a display; and receiving a selection of the one of the networkalternatives from the list of the network alternatives.
 39. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the storedprocessor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processorof a multi-SIM communication device to perform operations such thatselecting one of the network alternatives based on an order ofsuitability for originating the second call comprises automaticallyselecting the one of the network alternatives from a list of networkalternatives arranged in an order of suitability for originating thesecond call.
 40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim32, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configuredto cause the processor of a multi-SIM communication device to performoperations such that sending the SMS comprises sending the SMS using anapplication installed on a calling party device and a called partydevice, wherein the application includes one of a messenger application,an instant messaging application, and a social media application. 41.The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein thesecond call comprises a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, andwherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured tocause the processor of a multi-SIM communication device to performoperations such that selecting one of the network alternatives andsending the SMS comprise: selecting a wireless local area network(WLAN); and sending the SMS encapsulated in a session initiationprotocol (SIP) MESSAGE to the called party on the WLAN including theinformation associated with the second call.